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The real cost of free Premium Content

By Kris Berg, Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

The e-mail was titled, "What is your communication method to the customer?" That alone left me shaking my head. Did she say "to" the customer?

And communicate to me, she did, but it was the message to follow that I found most offensive.

"I spoke to the receptionist at your office and she said you were "unavailable" to speak with me. Perhaps you were out taking a listing or showing a home?  more...

Homebuilder fights 'fix-it' lawsuit

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

In the case Standard Pacific Corp. v. Superior Court, several owners of homes in a Southern California subdivision sued the builder, Standard Pacific, alleging construction defects. The builder requested that the court stay the proceedings until the homeowners complied with the requirements of California's "Fix-it" law, under which owners are required to give builders notice and opportunity to repair alleged defects prior to filing suit.

The owners argued that the builder's failure to comply with the Fix-it law's "documentation and information" production requirements (Sec. 912) released owners from the law's pre-litigation procedures. They argued that the burden of proving compliance was on the builder.  more...

Mortgage bankers see sales rebounding Premium Content

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

The Mortgage Bankers Association projects double-digit growth in sales of both new and existing homes in 2010, even though the group expects unemployment will continue to climb and won't peak until the middle of the year.

The MBA expects sales of existing homes to rebound 11.2 percent next year, to 5.57 million, and for new-home sales to bounce back 21 percent from this year's projected "very low levels" of 398,000.  more...

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The first home online

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

Who was the first person to post a for-sale home listing on the Internet? Inman News Publisher Brad Inman (@BradInman) posed the question in a Twitter post (click to read) today. If you know who it is, tell us. We would like to profile this individual and find out about their inspiration for this first-ever feat. (And did the home sell?)  more...

The first Internet property listing

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 14, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrbill/234433731/">mrbill</a>.

Who was the first person to post a for-sale home listing on the Internet?

Inman News Publisher Brad Inman (@BradInman) posed the question in a Twitter post (click to read) today.

If you know who it is, tell us. We would like to profile this individual and find out about their inspiration for this first-ever feat. (And did the home sell?)

***  more...

Demand for purchase loans eases

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

Applications for mortgages fell a seasonally adjusted 1.8 percent for the week ending Oct. 9, due largely to a 5 percent drop in demand for purchase loans from the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in releasing the results of its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey.

Looking back a year, applications for purchase loans were down 6.8 percent. Applications for refinancings were essentially flat from the previous week, declining by a seasonally adjusted 0.1 percent, the MBA said. Refinancings accounted for 67.4 percent of all mortgage applications, up from 66.3 percent the previous week.

   more...

DIY fix for stained stucco

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

Q: My stucco house has never been painted, and from years of never being cleaned it is very dirty. I have had several power-wash companies look at the house. They have tried various chemicals and they do not seem to take this dirt or mold off. None of the companies has washed the house -- they have only looked at it and then refused the job.

A: Your house needs more than just a good cleaning. It needs the finish refurbished. We don't doubt that your house has never been painted. But we do question that it never had what is known in the plastering trade as a "color coat."  more...

CAR tech whiz shares favorites Premium Content

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 14, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhook/2830319467" target=blank>William Hook</a>.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Josh Sharfman, chief technology officer of the California Association of Realtors, offered up several dozen Web sites and services that are of use to real estate professionals during a presentation at the California Realtor Expo in San Jose.

Sharfman's list included Web-based software that can substitute for, or serve as a companion to, Microsoft Office's suite of applications, including OpenOffice.org, Google Docs and Microsoft Office Live.

   more...

Get real about pricing

By Mary Umberger, Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

Thinking of listing your home for sale? Don't be surprised if you're in for a little "tough love."

Though they may claim they're in the minority within the industry, some real estate agents say they're finding themselves talking increasingly bluntly to clients, advising them that it's time -- maybe way past time -- to get real about pricing.

That is, they're telling home sellers from the get-go, even at the risk of losing the listing, that "experimenting" with their dream price would be a waste of everybody's time because the generally slow market just won't bear it.  more...